Referring to FIGS. 1A-1C, oil handling facilities 10, such as petroleum storage facilities 12, petroleum processing facilities 14 such as oil refineries 15, and oil mining facilities 19 such as oil wells 17, and the like, are typically disposed in containment areas 16 that are designed to contain liquids that become contaminated with hydrocarbons. For instance, oil handling facilities can be susceptible to storm water, either in the form of run off or accumulation on the storage tanks. The storm water that runs off from oil handling facilities can become contaminated with hydrocarbons. The containment areas 16 are designed to contain the storm water run off, thereby preventing the possibility of contaminants in the run off from entering the ambient environment outside the containment area 16. Alternatively or additionally, oil handling facilities 10 can also include run off retention ponds that are configured to receive and store storm water run off.
Further, petroleum storage tanks are available with floating roofs that rest atop the petroleum stored in the tank, and thus rises and falls with increasing and decreasing levels of petroleum. Floating roofs are conventionally employed as a way to safely store the contained petroleum with minimal escape of petroleum vapors into the environment. The floating roof is sealed with respect to the outer tank wall, such that as the volume of stored petroleum changes, the floating roof slides along the side wall of the tank without allowing leakage at the interface of the floating roof and the side wall of the tank. It is recognized that the floating roof and the portion of the side wall of the tank that resides above the floating roof can cooperate to define a basin that collects storm water. If the collected storm water is allowed to remain, the volume of storm water can collect in an amount sufficient to compromise the structural integrity of the roof.
Whether it is desired to discharge the storm water that is present in the form of run off in a retention pond, or present in the form of storm water collected by the roofs of petroleum storage tanks, it is desirable to discharge the storm water to a remote location outside the oil handling facility, where it can enter the environment outside the containment area 16. However, it is desirable to ensure that environmentally harmful oil has not contaminated the storm water prior to discharging the storm water into the environment.